<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Finding Your Own Wild Rumpus by vMures</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054121">Finding Your Own Wild Rumpus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vMures/pseuds/vMures'>vMures</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Full Moon Ficlet, Full Shift Werewolves, Gen, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Pre-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:28:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vMures/pseuds/vMures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two lonely wild things manage to find each other one day in the Preserve -- or how Stiles got stealth adopted by the Hales.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cora Hale &amp; Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale &amp; Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Full Moon Ficlet Prompt #402: Child, Treasured Stories</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Finding Your Own Wild Rumpus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my response to the Full Moon Ficlet challenge prompt this week - Child. </p><p>There is reference to the canon implications of child neglect and possible abuse by Claudia when she got sick.  But it is only a brief reference and focuses more on the implied neglect as this fic takes place before the worst of her illness.  This is the reason for the light angst tag.</p><p>This is a one-shot.  I do not have any intention of continuing it at this time.  </p><p>I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stiles knew he shouldn’t be out in the preserve on his own.  But his dad was at work and his mom wasn’t feeling well.  It was just easier to make himself scarce when she wasn’t feeling well, cause sometimes she forgot she was his mom and got angry with him for sneaking into her house.  And he was a big boy now, really, so it was fine.  He’d even managed to make a sort of fort for himself in a hollow tucked between some big trees and rocks and hidden a bit by some bushes. </p><p>He’d been real careful, checking to make sure no animal was using it and always cleaned up after himself making sure he didn’t leave any trash or food behind that would attract animals. He may not have lasted long in the boy scouts, especially after Jackson’s dad took over the troop, which made Jackson act like <b><i>he</i></b> was the boss.  So what if Stiles had not-so-accidentally tripped Jackass and caused him to fall in some manure.  Dude had deserved it for being a jerk.  They’d told his parents that he just wasn’t suited for Scouts and that maybe they should consider some other avenues for his energy since he “wasn’t really a team player.”</p><p>Stiles huffed.  He could totally be a team player if the other team members weren't jerks to the extreme and didn’t do everything they could to exclude him.   He’s tried not to fidget so much, or to talk as much as he does, but he can’t help it.  At least in his hideout, no one cared.  He could read to himself and tell stories to the trees.  He’s good at reading, and the trees don’t mind if he tells them about whatever weird thing he found in the library when he was hiding in the stacks.  </p><p>He carefully made his way into his hideout and got comfortable.  He pulled out a few books, some snacks, and a bottle of water before he tucked the book bag behind him to use as a backrest.  He lost himself in the world of Tortall and the adventures of Keladry.  </p><p>A little while later, a slight movement pulled his attention away from his book.  There was a puppy who had crawled under one of the bushes hiding his spot, it’s head was just peeking out from under the bushes.  If Stiles didn’t know better, he’d think it was a wolf cub, but wolves hadn’t lived in California in a long time according to the librarian.  So it had to be some sort of dog breed that looked like a wolf.  Possibly one of the Hales' dogs, he often heard howls and barks from the preserve and the Hales were known to have dogs.  Maybe they ran a wolf dog rescue, Stiles thought about asking Cora at school when he next saw her, but she could be a bit scary sometimes.  </p><p>“Did you get lost? Like, you don’t seem like you're old enough to be out wandering the woods on your own, so someone must be looking for you.” He tilted his head and tried to listen to see if he could hear another, larger animal or even a human calling for the pup.  But all he heard was quiet.</p><p>He could have sworn the pup glared at him when he said something about not being old enough to be out wandering the woods on its own, but that just had to be his overactive imagination.  Dogs are smart and can understand some words as they got older, but a puppy wouldn’t know what he was saying.  He shook his head and watched as the pup wiggled out from under the bush and came over to him. But instead of climbing all over him like most puppies would, it just walked right over to him and sat, tail wagging through the dirt and leaves.  Stiles slowly held out his hand palm up, like his dad had taught him to do with the K-9s at the Sheriff’s department.  </p><p>“Hi. You’re super cute, you know.  Aren’t you a good boy, or girl, seems kind of rude to assume either one and we always default to boy, which is stupid.  So I’ll go with girl for now. Can I pet you? I bet you’re soft, you look soft.”</p><p>The puppy licked his hand, and then promptly wiggled her way into his lap, tail still going.  </p><p>“Well, I guess that answers that.”  Stiles couldn’t keep the wonder and happiness out of his voice, he loved dogs but had been told he couldn’t have one. Well, his dad had said “maybe when your older” but Stiles wasn’t stupid and knew that meant “probably never.”  </p><p>So Stiles set his book off to the side, placing it where the puppy wouldn’t be tempted to chew on it, then settled back and focused on cuddling the puppy in his lap, rambling about the books he’d fallen in love with and decided to reread now that the last book was coming out soon.  </p><p>“You know I really wish I were more like Kel. She stands up to bullies and helps small animals, and she might get in trouble sometimes but people actually like her.  Me, I’m more like Neal I guess, which isn’t bad.  He’s a cool character, almost as bad-ass as Kel.  I guess I just wish I had my own Kel. Someone who stood by me and liked hanging out with me not because I was the only option, or because our parents were friends, or because they needed something from me.”  He shrugged and giggled when the puppy chose that moment to lick his chin.</p><p>“At least you like me.”</p><p>Of course, that was when his watch alarm went off, startling both him and the puppy in his arms, which made him laugh.</p><p>“Forgot about that.  Time for me to head home.  Dad should be getting off work soon, and I should be able to sneak back in without mom freaking out.  She forgets me sometimes, and let me tell you, that is no fun at all. I’m pretty sure dad thinks I’m exaggerating how much she hates me when she has episodes, so I’ve just stopped mentioning it. Not really sure what else to do.”</p><p>He had set the puppy down and started putting his stuff back in his backpack while he was talking.  He was surprised when the puppy just sat there and watched him and didn’t keep trying to climb all over him.  </p><p>“Your people must do a lot of training with you.  You’re way calmer than most puppies I’ve met. They must be frantic looking for you.  I would be if my dog got loose and wandered in the preserve.  I need to head home so I can get there before dad, but maybe I should sneak you into the Hale yard.  If they aren’t your people, I’d eat my hat. Not that I wear a hat, but you know what I mean. So how about it, mind if I pick you up and try to sneak you home?”</p><p>He scooped up the pup, tucking her gently into his hoodie and zipping it up.  She remained remarkably docile, only licking his chin once and then squirming a bit to settle herself.  With her settled, he started carefully making his way out of his hideaway.  It was going to suck when he hit his next growth spurt because he’d probably be too big to use this space.  But he could enjoy it for now at least.</p><p>Once back on the path in the Preserve, it didn’t take him long to orient himself and make for the Hale back yard.  He was only a little bit down the path when he heard someone calling for a “Lil Bit.” He felt the puppy, still tucked away in his hoodie, perk up at the name.</p><p>“So you’re Lil’ Bit, huh?” He unzipped his hoodie, scratched her ears, and moved to set her on the ground.  “It fits. Now, you should go.  Your person is calling for you, and if I get caught out here on my own I’ll be in big trouble.  So off you go.  Thank you for keeping me company today, I’m glad I met you.”</p><p>He shooed her towards the voice, carefully trying to keep his voice steady.  It was the most fun he’d had in ages and he was sorry to say goodbye to his new four-footed friend.  As soon as he was sure that she was on her way back to her owner, he turned and dashed towards home.  If he was quick he’d be back just before his dad pulled up.  Hopefully, he didn’t get pulled into working late again.</p>
<hr/><p>Peter really wished he had taken a long weekend away to celebrate graduating law school and enjoy himself before his bar exam study period started in earnest.  But no, he’d decided to come home and celebrate with his pack, which meant he inevitably got pressed into babysitting duty.  Though Laura and Derek would argue that they were perfectly capable of watching themselves at 14 and 16 respectively.</p><p>Peter wasn’t buying it since the two of them had somehow managed to misplace their little sister.  Cora was, of course, far more wiley than her elder siblings, so Peter wasn’t surprised she’d managed to sneak off on her own.  Most likely she was in her wolf form, as she loved exploring that way.  Peter just wished she’d invited him along.  Exploring the preserve and chasing rabbits with his favorite niece would have been much more enjoyable than listening to Laura and Derek bicker over the television and game system.  </p><p>Of course, they then each blamed the other for losing Cora, and were probably still arguing about that.  Peter had rolled his eyes at them and informed them that he would go find their wayward sibling. Lord forbid they put themselves out doing so.  It helped that they all know that Cora is far more likely to come to Peter, she’d rather bite Derek or Laura, if she let them find her at all.  It’s not easy being the youngest by at least six years.  Peter should know, he was seven years younger than David, and more than ten years younger than Talia.  It’s not surprising that Tali can’t quite figure out if she should treat him like a brother or one of her kids.  He’d say he takes it with good grace, but that would be less than truthful.  </p><p>He’d chosen to stay on two feet since the preserve can be busy this time of day and it wouldn’t do for a “wolf” to be sighted and get the local rangers in a tizzy.  He followed Cora’s scent out towards the more public parts of the Preserve.  He was going to have a talk with her, again, about how dangerous that can be in wolf-skin.  Or at least try to get it through her head that she should come and get him if she wants to explore that far out. </p><p>Her scent trail was fresher here, so she’d probably been through this way recently.  He started listening for the sound of a pup-fast heartbeat as well.  It isn’t long before he heard it, along with another quick little heart-beat and the sounds of a young boy talking. Peter tried not to laugh when he heard the boy refer to Cora as well-behaved. He was going to have fun teasing his favorite little hellion with that later.  Whoever was with Cora clearly has a good heart, because he was worried about her “people” being frantic looking for her.  Peter couldn’t help but smile at the word choice since many would have said owners instead.  His brows quirked up in surprise when the kid mentioned that she had to belong with the Hales. The kid was smart, and now Peter wanted to meet him.  Judging by the voice and the fact that he was clearly worried about being caught out here by himself, Peter guessed he was probably Cora’s age, if not younger.  </p><p>Hoping not to startle the kids, Peter starts calling for Cora, sticking with his nickname for her instead of her real name.  He then listened as the boy encouraged Cora to head for him before turning and dashing off to wherever home was.  Peter was distracted from following the boy though when his niece dashed towards him, changing shape as she ran before slamming into him fully human and wrapping herself around him like a limpet.</p><p>“Can we adopt someone into the pack? He smelled so lonely and sad, and he was really nice to me.  He always smells a bit odd, like chemicals of some kind, and he’s smelled sad a lot lately.  But I never really thought much about him, before.  I mean, he’s a bit of an outcast, talks a whole lot, and sasses everyone--even the teachers.  He’s always polite to me, but I think he’s scared of me.”  Cora preened a bit at that, which Peter understood since being the youngest and smallest of the pack often meant very few were scared of you. </p><p>“But I’ve been noticing his smell more out here in the preserve and it’s just his.” She looked up at Peter, clearly worried, “And you’re always telling me that I shouldn’t be in the public parts of the Preserve by myself and I’m a <b><i>wolf!</i></b>  He’s human and doesn’t have an Uncle Peter to make sure he explores safely.  So can we adopt him?”</p><p>“Well his parents might not like that too much, and your mom might not agree.  But I bet the two of us can come up with some way to stealth adopt him.  Now tell me everything you know about my newest honorary nephew.”</p>
<hr/><p>Noah Stilinski was enjoying a quiet Saturday at home with his wife and son.  Claudia was upstairs resting, claiming she had a headache.  So it was just him and Stiles curled up together watching cartoons. The warmth of his son curled up against him, and the steady noise of the television had him drifting.  Such quiet downtime was just not something he got much these days.</p><p>He knew he was going to have to convince Claudia to go get checked out soon as her episodes were getting worse.  Noah had gotten reports from neighbors that Stiles had been seen wandering around town on his own, but when asked, Stiles would just ramble incoherently.  And Noah wasn’t proud to admit that he usually gave up rather than press his son for clearer answers.  </p><p>The unexpected sound of the doorbell startled Noah out of his near doze. </p><p>“Wonder who that could be?” He glanced at Stiles who just shrugged.  </p><p>Noah glanced through the peephole and blinked in surprise before opening the door.</p><p>“Morning, Mrs. Hale, I must say this is quite the surprise.” And it really was.  He couldn’t think of a single reason that one of the city council members would be on his doorstep on a Saturday morning, let alone there with a young man and a younger girl.  </p><p>“Good morning, Deputy Stilininski.  Sorry to intrude on your Saturday. I’m not sure you’ve ever met my younger brother, Peter?  And this is my daughter, Cora.  She’s in Stiles class.”</p><p>Noah nodded as Talia continued, “Apparently Peter and Cora ran into Stiles the other day when he managed to find one of our wayward pups and contacted us to help her get home.  None of us are sure how the puppy made it so far away from our house, but we’re grateful to Stiles for helping her.  So we wanted to come by and say thank you.  Plus Cora can be a little shy and has apparently been trying to figure out how to invite Stiles out to play, so we figured two birds, one stone, so to speak.”</p><p>Noah stepped back and invited the Hales in. “Can’t say I’m surprised that he’d help a dog in need.  He’s a good kid and loves animals. He’s been pestering me about getting a dog, so I guess we’re all lucky that he called you and didn’t try to hide the dog in his room.</p>
<hr/><p>Stiles wandered over shortly after his dad opened the door and peered out at the Hales.  Cora smiled, looking remarkably unterrifying for once, and waved at him, as did the man who was holding her hand.  Stiles hesitantly waved back.  He guessed Lil Bit really was one of the Hales' pups, but how on earth had they known he’d found her.  Maybe they’d caught a glimpse of him through the trees, or heard him talking to her?  Cora would know his voice, so that makes sense.  </p><p>He’d never have pegged Cora as shy but he covered his worry and loneliness with snark.  So who’s to say she didn’t do the same.  Cora wandered over before stopping and looking a bit hesitant.  </p><p>“Hey. Thanks for looking after Lil Bit.  Hope you don’t mind the random visit.”  She bit her lip and clearly tried not to fidget.  Stiles was very familiar with that posture.</p><p>“Nah, it’s all good. She was really good company.  And it’s nice to get a visitor.”  Stiles couldn’t help but fidget nervously.  “We could, uh, go watch cartoons or something if you want.  I’d offer to show you my room, but Mom is upstairs resting and I don’t want to disturb her.”</p><p>“Cartoons are awesome.  My older siblings hog the tv all the time, so I don’t get to watch what I want all that often.  What are we watching?” Cora bounced a bit, grabbed his hand, and drug him back into the living room.</p><p>“Oh, I bet if we ask nicely, Uncle Peter will take us hiking in the Preserve.  He knows all the best spots for animal watching and cool things.  He’s pretty cool for a grown-up.  You know, he’s gonna need us to make sure he takes breaks from studying for this stupid big test he has to take.  Heck, we’re both smart, I bet we could also figure out how to help him study for it.  Plus I could use a partner in crime for tormenting my siblings.  What do you say, Stilinski?  You game?”</p><p>Stiles was used to being the one bowling other people over with sheer personality, so it was weird to be on the reverse side of that.   He’d always felt a draw to the Hales, though Cora was the one he interacted with most, but he’d also always figured that, like most of the rest of Beacon Hills, they’d rather be around his parents and would merely put up with him.  But maybe that isn’t the case.  Cora’s hand was gripped tight around his as she waited for his answer, and the worry in her eyes suggested she was nervous he would say no.  And considering that she was also loud and rough, and others gave her the same berth they did Stiles, maybe they were well suited as true friends. He nodded decisively and gripped her hand right back.</p><p>“Partners it is. Now how do you feel about Kim Possible?”</p>
<hr/><p>In the kitchen, Peter smiled and started adjusting his bar study plans to fit around two wiley eight-year-olds.  Talia was working her magic on Noah, laying the foundation for a friendship between the two families and getting him comfortable enough to open up to them about the troubles they were facing.  And, given that Noah’s scent was just as sad and stressed, if not more so, than Stiles’s, plus the off scent coming from upstairs where Mrs. Stilinski was apparently resting, well, there was clearly something going on.  They might not be able to fix the problem, but they could help.  And given that Stiles was the first person outside of the pack that Cora had ever wanted to be friends with, well, he’d stealth-adopt the whole family to make sure his favorite niece was happy.</p><p>It helped that he had a feeling he would get along well with Stiles, and possibly even with his parents.  Noah certainly had the wry sense of humor that Peter appreciated. He accepted a cup of coffee from Noah and laughed outright when his sister claimed that he’d never really stopped being the King of the Wild Things, so, of course, he’d have no problem wearing their two little monsters out.  </p><p>“Let the wild rumpus start!” Peter murmured into his coffee cup, knowing Tali and Cora at least would hear it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I write for my own fun and relaxation.  Any and all mistakes are my own, but I prefer to find them on my own.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>